Rejuvenate & Prevent

Understanding the degrees of corrosion / contaminants

Before planning a rustproofing treatment, it's important to understand the different levels of corrosion that could be evident on a vehicle. The older the vehicle, the more likely it is that there is more rust than you think. Naturally there is a price impact depending on the state of the vehicle. Below is a guide to the levels of corrosion and the preparation required.

Minor Surface Contaminants, mud, small amounts of surface corrosion. All mud, salt, road film and surface rust will be removed and treated before any rustproofing can begin.
Stage 1 treatment is included with all rust prevention services. This is further detailed in our treatment guide below.

Stage 2 surface corrosion is usually found on slightly older vehicles. Typically the underbody sealant applied by the manufacturer has started to fail. Water has got trapped underneath the failed sections. The corrosion and failed underbody sealant will need removing / preparation for treatment.
Typically we use an air needler to remove the failed underseal. Sand blasting is also an option where needed.

In addtion to stage 2 damage, stage 3 includes minor pitting and holes which will require all the preparation for second degree surface corrosion plus additional work to remove pitted or holed metal. Once removed welding repairs will be needed along with sealing treatments of the welded sections prior to the actual rustproofing treatment process.

Major corrosion and holes will likely have the minor pitting and holes as well as the more significant areas of damage. This will need significant welding repairs and preparation before any rustproofing treatment can be done. In some cases replacement panels or new sills may need to be sourced and installed.

The Treatment Process

A Complete Treatment, a thorough process with guaranteed resultsThe underside of your pride and joy gets a lot of assaults from the road during driving. Surface water; grit and salt; debris all attack the underneath and cause corrosion and damage. Underbody protection is the first step in prolonging the life of your vehicle. Nearly all cars have some kind of protection from new, but there are limits to this.

1. Initial Inspection

The FREE Inspection is done before we begin any rust proofing job. You can wait while we do this so we can give you a best effort estimate. Until preparation starts there is always a risk of hidden damage.

3. Second Stage Cleaning

4. Stage 1 Initial Steam Cleaning

We steam the underside of the vehicle to remove any of the agents from step 3 and also any mud etc

5. Stage 1 Treatment

We remove any minor surface rust which might be sitting on untreated parts underneath the car. This is done by hand using a wire brush

6. Condition Assessment

Full inspection of condition & assessment of any damage or corrosion. Gentle testing of areas where corrosion is evident for any weakness of structure or hidden holes

7. Stage 2, 3 and 4 Treatments

If the vehicle requires treatment for stage 2, 3 and 4 corrosion, this is the stage we perform this.
Depending on the condition of the vehicle and the level of corrosion this can take days or even weeks. The finish and repair type is fully agreed with you before work is undertaken.
For example on a camper van you might opt to have rust holes underneath the vehicle plated, yet on a show, classic or performance car you might opt to have a factory standard finish. We could replace or repair damaged panels including cutting out affected material and replacing with new. Lead loading could also be applied to ensure a rust free repair and a greater ability of detailing in intricate areas.

8. Underside Masking

Masking of exhaust, transmission and at-risk areas for overspray. We will give you the option of whether you want us to paint the lower parts of the suspension shocks (they may be very corroded).

9. Bodywork Protection

Put on protection sheets to mask bodywork panels and prevent any overspray on vehicle paintwork

10. Rust Conversion Treatment

Application of Anti Corrosion rust converter to affected areas. I.e. areas where rust has been removed during the earlier processes

11. Priming

Where any metal has been exposed or replaced it will be painted with an anti corrosion primer.

11. Seam Sealer

Should any seam sealer have failed underneath the vehicle it will be replaced. Seam sealer will also be added around any pieces welded to the vehicle

13. Stone Chip

Application of stone chip if the sills are damaged or to inside areas (such as the floor of a van or bed of pickup). This could be in the form of Raptor or Traditional Stone chip. (Additional charges may apply)

14. Underbody Sealer

Application of underbody anti corrision sealer. This could be in the form of Dinitrol, Raptor or Schultz.

15. Hot Wax Cavity Injection

Injection of hot wax to exposed cavities using injection nozzle. Option for access holes to be made to allow cavity injection to hidden areas.

16. Cleaning and Handover Inspection

The car will be washed and the underbody protection will be inspected to ensure our standards have been met and everything is completed.

Before the vehicle is returned to you it undergoes a thorough quality control process before sign off for release by a workshop supervisor. This includes checking the process is completed to our exacting standards, ensuring all trims have been reinstalled correctly, checking wheel bolt torque settings and of course a wash & wax so that it's all shiny to come home.

The Products

Tried, Tested, Proven Results. Guaranteed Longevity.

Because we aren't linked to only one supplier we can choose the best products for each step resulting in the very best results for you and your car.

Prep Detergents.

Chlorx Salt Remover Heavy Duty Degreaser

Rust Conversion.

Phos-Kleen B Purple-X FE-123 AdcoatFlag Marine

Rust Prevention.

Pricing

The important matter of effect on your wallet!Please be ware the prices shown are for all Stage 1 rust. If your vehicle is very old, has holes that need welding then the prices will clearly differ as before the rust prevention treatment can be applied the rust first needs to be eliminated

Initial Assessment

FREE

Before we can accurately provide an estimate we need to see the status of the underside

Pop in during opening hours for us to put the vehicle on the ramp for an initial assessment

Yearly Service

Frequently Asked Questions

We've tried to answer the most common questions. If you need further assistance then please ask our staff by giving us a call.

Free Assessment

Do I need to book an appointment?

Not if you're a patient person and don't mind waiting if we need to free up a car ramp to lift your vehicle up for its assessment. We have no problem with you popping in during our opening hours without pre-booking as long as you're prepared for potential delays.

Why is the assessment FREE, What's the catch?!

To be honest it's as much for our benefit as yours. The last thing we want is to take bookings for vehicles without any idea of the state of them or the work involved. We don't want you to be disappointed if the job is more expensive than you expected so it's better to pre-assess. Similarly there are occasions when we have to decline the job if the damage is too extensive or there's a significant question of economic viability. We'll always be up front with you.

Do I have to wait with the vehicle while the assessment is done?

We would prefer it if you did. We like to be able to show you the underside of your vehicle and point out any suspect areas so you have a proper understanding of what we are proposing to do.

I dont want an initial assesment

If you decide to not take us up on our inital inspection then we will provide you with a report on the condition of your vehicle when we begin work

Payment (5)

Do I need to pay a deposit?

No. We only bill at the end of the job and don't take your money until the process is completed. Naturally once the vehicle is done, we require payment prior to removal of it from site.

Can I pay by card?

Yes. We accept payment by debit card, credit card, cash or bank transfer. However we do not accept payment by American Express cards.

The Process

How long will it take?

On average the complete rust proofing process takes 3 days (approximately 25 to 30 hours labour). If howerver there is prep to be done then it will take longer depending on how bad the corrosion. If there are welding repairs or extensive preparation required it will take at least 5 days sometimes considerable longer if the vehicle has stage 3 or 4 rust. We would of course keep you informed of any delays or changes to the timescale. Our focus is the job being thorough & done properly, not on speed. If you opt for high quality repairs i.e. not patching then the work involved can be quite considerable

Is there a guarantee?

The process is guaranteed for five years subject to a yearly service. Even after the five years it is unlikely to require more than a basic reapplication to restore optimal protection for a further 5 year period.

Can I see the underside after the work is done?

Of course. We are happy to show off our workmanship. However if we have cars on all the ramps when you arrive to collect, there may be a short delay while we free one up to be able to lift your vehicle in the air for clear access to the underside.

Do you offer courtesy cars?

We do have a small fleet of courtesy cars, however they are extremely popular and strictly subject to availability. There's NO hire charge to borrow the car and fully comprehensive insurance is included, just add fuel!

Why can't you just apply a coating of black waxoyl?

You can! Many Garages Do! However this is most definitely NOT rustproofing. Applying product over the top of rust is pointless, the damage is already there just hidden. If an MOT tester uses his magic hammer the hole will still appear through the waxoyl.

What happens if you find substandard repairs or filler during the preparation?

This depends on you and what standard of repairs you have requested. We can remove any filler or substandard welding repairs and redo the process properly but obviously this increases the costs to you. We would always advise against leaving filler repairs in place of proper metal work but obviously it's your car and your choice.

How much of the car do you treat? Will you repair bodywork?

We do not offer any form of bodywork repairs. Our rustproofing process is for the underside parts of the vehicle. We do the sills and wheel arches and if requested we can do the engine bay if you have a project vehicle and the engine is out. up behind the bumpers can be treated and any cavity areas injected. On project vehicles (usually trailered as a stripped shell) we can also treat the inside floor plan. We are happy to remove basic interior trim and carpets in these cases. For additional cost we can remove the door cards and treat the inside of the doors including the base cavity.

What happens if my you discover my car need extra work?

Sometimes when we start a job on an older car the condition may be worse than expected. If we find extra holes or the underside needs some restroation work we will send you some pictures and you can decide if we continute at an hourly rate or of course you can take the car away and pay the labour up to that point.

Warranty

We provide a full warranty that subject to the yearly underside servicing, that the rustproofing will last for 5 years.
With the annual service we will keep your vehicles underside rust free for 5 years. Each year we can check and reapply our rust treatment (usually the cavities need topping up) to keep your vehicle free from rust for up to 5 years. After 5 years we may need to reapply the main treatment.

Why Choose Us:

When it comes to Rust Protection or Corrosion Treatments for your vehicle nobody in South Wales offers a better quality or service than Lupa RustProofing. Keep in mind that spraying a can of waxoyl over the top of surface rust is not a rustproofing treatment. This is what most garages offer to try and mask any corrosion rather than treat it.

Pricing

We keep it real with our pricing structure. No hidden costs or nasty surprises.

Experience

Free Assessment

Guarantees

Our rustproofing comes with a full 5 year warranty. No quibble guarantee.

Standards of Repair

Every rust prevention job we perform is always completed to a high standard
Where rust treatment is also needed at either stage 2, 3 or 4 levels we will perform the repairs needed to a standard agreed with you in advance. We can produce factory like finishes or apply patches after cutting our rust infected areas. The choice is yours.
To give you an idea of the quality and finish of our work we have created a small gallery.

Get in Touch

Call us, pop in or email, we'd love to hear from you. Request an information pack or speak to our customer sevice team today.